City employees dismissed early, shelter to open in BR ahead of storm

BATON ROUGE - Baton Rouge city employees will be dismissed early at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday and a storm shelter will be open ahead of anticipated severe weather moving into the area.

The Mayor’s Office announced the early dismissal at around 10 a.m. Tuesday, saying employees should follow the same policies or procedures that were in place for past early dismissal of employees. Employees that are essential to storm-related activities should seek direction from their appointing authority, according to the Mayor’s Office. West Baton Rouge Parish officials also decided to dismiss non-essential staff, telling essential staff to consider the event "hurricane practice."

The Salvation Army announced they’ll be opening the doors of its Bed and Bread Shelter at 2 p.m. Tuesday with a closing time set for 7 a.m. Wednesday. The doors will be open for overnight check-in until 10 p.m.

“Whether you need shelter from the storm or there is a need for services following the storm, The Salvation Army stands ready to serve our community,” said Salvation Army Captain Brett Meredith.

The Salvation Army said they’ll also be dispatching the disaster unit to areas affected by flooding, power outages or excessive damage that could be associated with the storms.